Man Arrested In Chase, Fatal Crash

OXFORD — A driver who allegedly led an officer on a high-speed chase and then crashed, killing a passenger in the car, was arrested Tuesday.

Eric Ramirez, 20, of Wood Road in Oxford turned himself in on a warrant charging him with reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit and misconduct with a motor vehicle, state police said. He posted $10,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Derby on Sept. 24.

Brandon Giordano, 15, of Christian Street in Oxford, died in the crash.

On March 9, Ramirez was driving a Ford Mustang convertible on Route 67 in Seymour. A Seymour officer tried to stop him for a motor vehicle violation, but Ramirez "intentionally attempted to avoid apprehension" by ignoring the officer and speeding up, according to a press release from the state police.

Ramirez illegally passed other vehicles and intentionally turned off the Mustang's lights, the release states. He continued driving fast as he tried to turn onto Old State Road 67 in Oxford, where the Mustang sped off the road and up a grass embankment, becoming airborne and hitting a commercial building at 43 Old State Road 67, police said. The car landed upside down.

Giordano, who had been sitting in the back seat, died. Ramirez and his front seat passenger, Dion Major, 16, of Hogsback Road in Oxford were injured, the state police said.

Seymour police administrators will review the state police report to determine if any action should be taken against the officer, Lt. Paul Satkowski said.